OUT OF MY MIND

He/She
Restaurant Reviews

I've been a vegetarian since November of 1969, and a vegan since April 15, 2010. My wife likes meat. Finding good restaurants that meet both of our specifications is sometimes hard.

I never tell anyone at a restaurant that I write about our restaurant experiences until after the meal. Here is what we have experienced.

BJs Ice Cream in Florence

California Grill

Chapalas

The Landmark in Yachats

Lotus Garden

Mission Mexican Cuisine

Nature's Corner in Florence

Ocean Sky

Olive Garden

Penelope's Mediterranean Cuisine

Pearl Street Ice Cream Parlor

Ring of Fire

Sushi Domo

Taste of India

Waterfront Depot in Florence

We were in the north part of Eugene and were looking for a quick bite late one evening, and found this place in the Santa Clara shopping center.

The food was good and the service friendly. Not much to say about this place, but we'll go back when we're in the area again.

Taste of India

This is a nice Indian restaurant on Hilyard. There are a lot of vegetarian entrees, appetizers and even soup.

Our server was Sunny, a pretty young woman with a sunny personality. She brought a decanter of water to the table, and the bus boy refilled when empty.

The food was tasty, the portions plentiful and the service excellent.

Mission Mexican Cuisine

Well, the water was good.

I didn't start writing this column to become a restaurant critic. I don't like reporting bad restaurants, but when I find one, I feel it is my duty to report what happened.

We wanted a quick meal, and decided on Mexican. We like good Mexican food. So we tried the Mission Mexican Cuisine on East Broadway.

Our waitress was Maria, who seemed overworked. She brought us chips and salsa. The salsa was quite ordinary, and the chips tasted stale, perhaps like they had been heated in a microwave.

We were patient, and ordered our meals. My wife had a cup of soup and chicken salad. I had a veggie burrito with Mexican potatoes. The burrito was tasteless. It was the most bland burrito I've ever had, and I left most of it on my plate. Even Taco Bell makes better burritos. The Mexican potatoes were good, but could have been better. All the food was heavy and filling, but not tasty.

My wife's soup was OK, though she only ate half of it. Her salad was not good, and she left most of it on her plate.

When Maria brought the bill, she charged us for a bowl of soup at $4.95, rather than the cup at $3.50. My wife pointed out the difference, and Maria, trying to prove her point, returned with the menu. My wife again pointed out the difference. Maria finally agreed and went to change the bill. When she returned, she had taken $1.00 off the bill, instead of $1.45. Perhaps Maria was just overworked that day. I don't know why she was so careless. We didn't point out her mistake; we just left a tip, paid the bill, and left.

We won't be returning to the Mission Mexican Cuisine.

Penelope's Mediterranean Cuisine

We saw this place advertised in a restaurant coupon book. They feature Penelope's Stuffed Portobello Delight. It sounded wonderful, so we made a special effort to go there on a Friday evening at 8.

We were served bread with an herbal olive oil. The bread was fresh and excellent, and the herbs in the olive oil were just right.

When I ordered the featured dish, I was informed that they had run out of portobello mushrooms. The waitress, Cybil, said that it was one of their most popular dishes. I don't understand how a restaurant can advertise a popular dish, then run out at 8 p.m. on Friday. Isn't this one of their busiest nights? Shouldn't they be prepared?

I ordered a stuffed eggplant, instead, and it was good, though I kept thinking throughout the meal about the missing portobello. My wife ordered a bowl of butternut squash soup. It was perhaps the best bowl of soup I've ever tasted. The soup made our day.

This restaurant has about a dozen tables inside, and a few more outside. When we arrived, there were patrons at perhaps five tables. Yet it took us 45 minutes to get our entrees.

The waitress suggested that when we come again that we let them know a day in advance so they have enough portobellos. I think that is ridiculous. It is the duty of the chef to be prepared. As I stated above, it wasn't as if the restaurant was full. It was a slow night, and they ran out of their featured entree.

So a mixed review on this one. Slow service, poor preparation, but excellent soup and bread.

BJs Ice Cream
Florence

BJs makes their own 14.2% butterfat ice cream, and this place is worth going to. We've been to the location in Old Town Florence down by the river, but prefer the original location on Highway 101.

Hmmm, favorite flavors? I haven't tried them all yet, but the Bing Cherry, Oregon Trail and Licorice are near the top.

Nature's Corner
Florence

My wife picked up one of those restaurant coupon books at a tax seminar in Coos Bay yesterday, so we decided to try a new restaurant on the way home.

The book listed a half dozen restaurants in Florence along with descriptions of their menu.

Nature's Corner, on the ocean side of U.S. 101 just north of the bridge, is in an odd-shaped corner of a motel. It is not just a restaurant; it is also a natural food store.

For a small restaurant, Nature's Corner has a big menu. We both easily found entrees, and the coupon paid for one of them.

Along with vegetarian and vegan entrees, they also have organic meats. We were both satisfied with our meals, and feel that we now have a good restaurant we are both happy with in Florence.

Our considerate waitress was Cindy, but the whole staff was friendly.

Sushi Domo

Hands down, the best sushi in Eugene is at Sushi Domo. Located on the west side of Delta Oaks Shopping Center, it has at least 20 vegetarian rolls.

Most people think that sushi is raw fish, and you can get raw fish sushi here, but sushi is simply a rice roll, sometimes wrapped in nori (a seaweed), with whatever ingredients you order.

I had inari, arbor maki and magic maki. Their menu includes a glossary(!) and a list of ingredients.

We sat at the sushi bar, really the only way to eat sushi, and watched the chefs prepare each order.

We highly recommend Sushi Domo.

Ocean Sky

I hadn't been to this restaurant on Chambers near 18th in nearly a decade. The last time I was there, they didn't have much for vegetarians, and since I vote with my wallet, I stayed away.

A group of us who used to work at the old HMT factory gathered there for a late lunch. I mentioned to the waitress, Annie, that I was a vegetarian, and she made sure that I had plenty of good food. She even wrote "No Meat" on my bill, and circled it.

I especially liked the Vegetarian Pot Stickers and the Veggie Spring Rolls. Needless to say, I'll be returning to Ocean Sky, and I'll be requesting Annie.

Ring of Fire

Vegetarians and vegans beware! Ring of Fire uses fish oil as a base in most of their dishes without listing it on their menu.

We went there, located on W. 11th and Chambers in Eugene, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the day we met, July 5, 1981.

I had ordered a soup with a coconut milk base. The menu lists ingredients. Most of their menu items offer a choice of tofu, chicken or beef. My soup listed all vegetarian ingredients.

The soup had an odd taste. I questioned the waiter, and he listed some of the spices, then mentioned the fish oil base. I was horrified!

How dare any restaurant do that? What about people who are allergic to fish? There was no indication anywhere on the menu that most of the dishes contain this fish oil. The waiter said that it was like a secret ingredient in most of the dishes, and that he had had previous complaints, but that Ring of Fire had not changed its menu to indicate the fish oil ingredient. I wonder if Ring of Fire's insurance company knows that they don't list ingredients?

I vote with my dollars, and Ring of Fire will not get my dollars again until they change their menu to notify vegans and vegetarians about their secret ingredient.

Pearl Street
Ice Cream Parlor

This small, friendly, family owned and operated restaurant at the corner of Pearl and 13th in Eugene has been a staple of ours for many years.

I order the garden burger and a salad with dressing on the side. My wife usually orders the chicken strips. And we often get ice cream. They serve Umpqua Ice Cream, which is one of the best tasting brands in Oregon.

On your birthday, ask for your free birthday sundae!

If you're in a hurry, remember this place, because the service is always fast and friendly.

Highly recommended!

[Unfortunately, Pearl Street is no longer in business.]

Lotus Garden

We first discovered this vegetarian Chinese restaurant about five years ago.

The Lotus Garden Vegetarian Restaurant is religion-based, so there is no doubt as to the food quality and pureness.

We have never been disappointed with the food or the service. Food is a little cheaper (and portions smaller) at lunchtime. During busy evenings, there is sometimes a wait for entrees, but it's always worth the wait.

Our favorites are the Sweet & Sour Nuggets and the Lotus Delite.

Highly recommended!

Olive Garden

Part 1

We've been to a few Olive Gardens through the years, and had gone to the one in Eugene near Valley River Center every couple of years.

We went recently, and had a waiter named Chris. I always ask for a pitcher of water (see my article on water) brought to my table. He refused! He said that he would be around frequently to fill our water glasses.

He wasn't. The entrees were delivered by another waiter, and I had no water to drink with my food. We got water once from another waiter, but spent most of the meal without water.

One of my chair massage clients at Saturday Market mentioned that she was a waitress at the Olive Garden, and promised me that if we returned there that she would make our visit special. So that night we tried the Olive Garden again, and requested Betsy as our waitress.

There was a long wait, as it was prom night, but Betsy delivered as promised. She left a pitcher of water on the table, but returned often and filled our glasses many times. Both the food and the service were outstanding!

The manager, A.J., came to our table and apologized for the previous poor service. He offered to pay for one of our entrees! When we saw the bill, we saw that he paid for the more expensive of the two entrees.

Thanks to Betsy and A.J., we will be returning to the Olive Garden.

Part 2

We have gone back to the Olive Garden in Eugene several times. Last night Stephanie was our waitress. We received excellent service and the food was great. After the meal, I told her about our previous experiences there and that I write about our restaurant experiences in my blog. She asked if we were the ones whose story was posted on their bulletin board for several months. Not only did I write here, I also went to the Olive Garden website & made a customer comment about our bad and good service. Apparently both Betsy & A.J. got commendations as a result of my comments.

Part 3

Twenty-five years ago today, on December 4, 1981, aboard the Oceania, a floating restaurant in Honolulu harbor, I asked Loretta Dang to marry me. Now married 23+ years, we celebrated with a lunch at the Olive Garden Restaurant in Eugene. I've written here before about the bad and good experiences at this restaurant. Manager A.J. always greets us now when we are in the restaurant. Our favorite waitress, Betsy, has moved on. By chance, we found Stephanie, a 21-year-old cutie who has served us on several occasions. We requested Stephanie today, and received excellent service once again. She told us that if she wasn't there, that we could request her sister Amber or another server, Brittain, and that both of them are good servers. At the end of the meal, Stephanie told us that because we were regular customers celebrating a special occasion, the meal was on her! We were stunned. This has never happened to us before. We just wanted you to know that the Olive Garden has a special family of employees, and we are delighted to be their customers.

Chapalas

Another of my chair massage clients at Saturday Market is a waitress at Chapalas, a Mexican restaurant at Oakway Center in Eugene. When I found out that she was a waitress, I told her about my water experiences at the Olive Garden, and she invited me to come to her restaurant.

Candy greeted my wife and I at the restaurant with a hug. In all my years of going to restaurants, that's the first time a waitress has hugged me. I liked that and think it should be a tradition! lol

Without asking, she brought a pitcher of water to the table. The food and service were excellent. Thanks, Candy.

The Landmark
Yachats

We went to Yachats, on the Oregon coast, for the 4th of July. One of my massage clients has a home there, and offered it to me for a few days vacation from Eugene.

Monday night we went to The Landmark, which according to their menu has been there since 1911.

The food and service were excellent, and the view looking out over the bay was spectacular. There was even a whale breaching a couple of hundred yards off shore!

Discrimination

Discrimination is the power of making fine distinctions. It is the art of decision-making.

You are constantly faced with making choices. It is time to start making choices that will lead to your enlightenment. Which choices help you? Which choices hurt you?

Gurumayi Chidvilisananda once talked about how to make decisions. She said to look for the love. If you're trying to decide between chocolate and strawberry, there's no difference in love, so it doesn't really matter. But if you're trying to decide to break up with someone, or trying to decide on one job over another, or thinking whether to watch TV or read a book, there may be a love factor. Always make the most loving choice.

Be picky. Set your standards high. Don't settle for less when you can have more. These are messages that will help you to live a better life.

Be really careful about what you allow into your mind. To make this life filled with self-love, self-acceptance, and success, decide right now that you'll do everything in your power to fill your mind with good information.

No more reading emails that might have something in it somebody tells you that you need to see. No more watching violent news that leaves you feeling helpless or afraid. Forget about the celebrity news that makes you feel like everyone else is living a great life. No more gossiping or listening to gossip.

Stop listening to the latest drama story at work or school. Stop listening to the friend who's been complaining about the same thing for years. It's exhausting and it's bringing you down.

It's time to be careful - really, really careful.

Resolve to do things that fill your mind with exciting new ideas, inspirational messages that motivate you to act, or wisdom that touches your soul in the best of all ways.

Connect - Take a workshop, attend a lecture, or enroll in a course that will stretch you, inspire you, and connect you with like-minded people whose good vibes will rub off on you. You become like the people you hang around with.

Listen - Buy or rent audiobooks that fill your mind with good information, that give you a chance to think, get motivated, and change your life for the better.

Read - Take a good book to lunch rather than a friend who's made "woe is me" his or her personal motto. Keep an inspirational book by your bed. Use daily routines like washing dishes or brushing your teeth as opportunities for "feel-good" breaks.

Watch - Tune out the latest reality show and tune into public television or radio.

Your good life starts with good thoughts. Start thinking good thoughts.

Discriminate in what you allow into your mind.

“Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”—Arnold Glasow

Saturday, January 29, 2011 Back to Top

Google It!

It seems like people are always asking me questions like I know everything. I don't know quite everything yet, but I do know how to get answers quickly. I work mostly at home, and do a lot of research in my home office. My computer is usually on, and I have a toolbar with a Google search box that sits on my computer screen no matter what program I'm using. So if someone asks a question that I don't know, I can usually Google the query and get an answer in seconds. Sometimes when I'm busy, I ask the caller to Google it themselves. While most people nowadays know how to use a computer, and most know how to get to Google, most people don't know how to use Google to get full use out of it.

First, either use a toolbar like I do, or point your browser to www.google.com. Type up to ten words you want to search for and hit Enter.

Here are some helpful hints to get the most from your Google experience.

1. Use the singular form of the words.
   
2. Capitalization doesn't matter.
   
3. Put the most important word first.
   
4. Google ignores little common words and all punctuation except quote marks, hyphens and apostrophes.
   
5. Enclose exact wording in quotes, "Freeport Illinois" "Abraham Lincoln".
   
6. At the bottom of each search page is a link to "Search Within Results". Use this to narrow your results.
   
7. Google assumes you want all the words you type. If you want all listings of Freeport, Illinois or Abraham Lincoln, type "Freeport Illinois" OR "Abraham Lincoln". If you want one term and any of several other terms, use parenthesis, debate ("Stephen Douglas" OR "Abraham Lincoln").
   
8. Use the minus sign to eliminate results. Let's say you are doing research on the different types of spears, and you type in spears, you'll get a few results about the weapon, but 56,000,000 results are going to be about Britney. To remove her from the results, type spears -britney.
   
9. If a common word is necessary, put a plus + in front of the term +the secret, or enclose the phrase in quotes: "the secret".
   
10. For a quick result, use the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button which takes you directly to the first result instead of the results page.
    
11. Use an asterisk * for a full-word wildcard. An asterisk won't work for a partial word. This can get you around the ten word limit because the asterisk doesn't count as a word. "Four score * seven years ago * fathers * forth * * continent * new nation"
    
12. Wrap your mind around this one: Google shows answers results, not questions results. If you ask Google a question (Where were the Lincoln-Douglas debates held?), it will show you sites where the question was asked. If you put your query into an answer using the asterisk for the answer you are seeking, Google will give you good results. ("lincoln douglas debate * * illinois")
    
13. Google lists the results from most relevant to least relevant.
    
14. I usually change the Preferences (to the right of the search box) for my needs.
    
    • Interface language is English, though Elmer Fudd is fun.
      
    • Search language is English (I can't read the French, German and Russian pages, so why include them in the results?)
      
    • Do not filter my results. The filters don't work well anyway, so why eliminate the result you may need?
      
    • Display 100 results per page. If you only look at the first ten, you may be missing the real answer to your query.
      
    • Open search results in a new window. I rarely find what I'm looking for in a single web page, so why keep going back & reopening the search page when you can leave it open?
15. At the top of a results page there are links for the Web, Images, Video, News, Maps, and More... Click on more and you get more choices, Blogs, Books, Froogle, Groups, Patents and even more>>, which leads to another page with at least 50 more links. Google is an enormously wealthy company that makes its money on advertising on the results pages with links to relevant sites. Google gives away lots of neat stuff: an on-line email service (GMail), a free photo program (Picasa) and lots, lots more. They want you to keep coming back. Wondering what Stephen Douglas looked like, look for him in Images. Wondering who Britney Spears is? Google her in Video. The same search terms work in Web, Images, Video, News. Check out the maps with their satellite feature. See what your house looks like from orbit.
    
16. Google's links at the bottom of the page are self-explanatory. For more help with how to use Google, click on Search Tips.

    Extra Google tricks:
    

17. Definitions: Type define term, and then press Enter, as in define breast cancer. The definition will appear first, followed by links to helpful pages about breast cancer. If you have safe search turned on, you will get filtered results, because someone has decided that the term breast is obscene. If you want a list of definitions and no other results, type in define followed by a colon and your terms, with no spaces on either side of the colon define:breast cancer.
    Want a definition of a foreign word? Type define:moulin and go to the bottom of the page to select All Languages. Google Definitions aren't just English-only, either. If you ask the site to define a multilingual word like "rouge" for example, and then click "all languages," you get definitions for what the word means in English, French, and German all on the same results page. Still not sure? OneLook.com, combines definitions from 931 dictionaries.
    
18. Calculator: Use the blank Google search box as a calculator. Just enter an equation, like 8+7, press Enter to get 15. Use the minus - to subtract, * to multiply and / to divide. Combine them with parenthesis, 8*(2+5). Use ^ to raise a number to a power, 2^3 (2 cubed is 8). For a square root, sqrt(81). Use the search box to perform unit conversions, like this: half a cup in tablespoons or kilometers in 10 miles. For percentages, 20% of 18.71. Go to this non-Google site googleguide.com/calculator.html to learn how to do more advanced math with Google, like logarithms and trigonometry. Google's official help site, google.com/help/calculator.html is incomplete. An alternative to Google's calculator, is Soople.
    
19. Phonebook: I never use the phone book at home anymore. Google has a better phonebook service, letting you look up a phone number and address (with map) for residential listings. Type phonebook: name city state, or phonebook: name area code, or phonebook: name ZIP code. For business listing, type the company name with city and state or Zip code.
    For a reverse listing, type an area code and phone number (business or residential) to get the name and address.
    To get a page of phonebook listings, type the word phonebook followed by a colon, then a space, and then the name and state you want to look up phonebook: bike oregon lists my wife and I with my cellphone number. The phonebook listings seem to max out at around 600 results, so if you're looking for a common name, add the city or a first name or first initial. Not getting results? Try 411.com, AnyWho.com and Switchboard.com.
    
20. Package tracking: tracking number
    
21. Patent number: patent number
    
22. Flying? airline flight number
    
23. Buying a used car? Type the VIN usually visible on the dash looking through the driver's side windshield.
    
24. Weather: weather city state
    
25. Movies: movies city state

    Non-Google
    

26. Looking for a particular website that isn't there anymore? The Wayback Machine is a searchable archive. It keeps track of Web sites forever (85,000,000,000 pages so far).
    
27. Google doesn't cluster results. Clustering is a hugely useful feature in which a search engine groups results by topic. Try Vivisimo cluster results.
    
28. To find a person's email address, try Meta. Near the bottom of the page, click on UnisUSA to include US results.
    
29. To find out what an acronym stands for, go to Acronym Finder.
    
30. Still searching? Try ask.com (formerly askjeeves.com and Teoma.com), ChaCha, Yahoo search, MSN search, ResourceShelf.com, alltheweb, Clusty, Dogpile, Mama.

"The answer is never the answer. What's really interesting is the mystery. If you seek the mystery instead of the answer, you'll always be seeking. I've never seen anybody really find the answer - they think they have, so they stop thinking. The need for mystery is greater than the need for an answer."—Ken Kesey

Monday, April 2, 2007 Back to Top

Publicity

Olga Carlisle, a feature writer for my hometown newspaper, the Freeport Journal-Standard, in Freeport, Illinois, wrote an article about this website. I contacted her in December, directing her to some of the features on this website, thinking that it might be interesting to some of her readers. The article generated phone calls and emails from old friends, acquaintances, and a number of people I've never met, but for whom something on this site touched an old memory.

I've been contemplating over this last weekend why I've gone so public with my life. In 1993 I had a revelation that I was to "follow the healing path" and that eventually I would teach. I've spent much of the time since then healing myself and reaching out to others.

I left Freeport in the 70s, and returned just a few times to visit relatives or attend funerals. Most people either didn't know where I went when I left or heard that I was living somewhere in Hawaii. Now, suddenly, I've popped up with a lot of publicity.

Gee, I could really feed my ego with all the praise I've gotten for putting so much interesting info on this site, but I want you to understand that that is not the reason that I've gone public with my personal life and with all the info. I did this so that I can say to you, "Wake up!" Life isn't about struggle, nor is it about our work and accomplishments, nor is it about all the things that consume most of our daily lives. Life is about taking care of each other, about building a personal relationship with God, and about healing ourselves.

I'm not going to preach to you. Choose your own religion, your own path, and live your own life. You have this wonderful machine that you reside in, your body; and you have this wonderful planet to live on; and you have been given gifts and tools to use while you're here. Appreciate them, use them, honor those who aid you, forgive those who offend you, and be thankful for all that has come to you. Work hard to improve yourself and to help others.

And enjoy the rest of this website.

"Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily."— Thomas Szasz

Monday, January 22, 2007 Back to Top

Taxes Simplified

A friend recently sent me one of those essays that have been floating around the internet for years, an analogy about our taxes. The various economists and professors this essay has been attributed to have all denied writing it. Here is what the friend sent, and what follows is my reply.

Taxes ! When explained like this, it is much easier to understand.

Taxing the People
Sometimes politicians, journalists and the liberal left exclaim; "It's just a tax cut for the rich!" and it is just accepted to be fact. But what does that really mean? Just in case you are not completely clear on this issue, I hope the following will help. Please read it carefully.

Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
* The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
* The fifth would pay $1
* The sixth would pay $3
* The seventh would pay $7
* The eighth would pay $12
* The ninth would pay $18
* The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20." Dinner for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to eat their meal.

So, the restaurant owner suggested:
* The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings)
* The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings)
* The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings)
* The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings)
* The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings)
* The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings, the least proportionate savings)

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings:

"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!"

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"

The first nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start eating overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Georgia

Look closely at the demeaning language used: "boys and girls, journalists and college professors". This is typical language from writers who are trying to make a point with a meaningless analogy. The right talks about the liberal media and liberal colleges, while the media is dominated by conservative owners and conservative commentators, and most colleges have a good mixture of liberals, conservatives and libertarians.

Here is my reply to my friend:

I have to respond to this one. It's just too juicy. This is one of those things that has been roaming the internet for at least five years, and the person it's attributed to at the bottom denies he wrote it.

This is an example of bad logic. The story, while interesting, really has nothing to do with our tax system.

In 2000, before Bush's big tax cuts for the rich, IRS data shows that the richest 400 taxpayers paid 27% of their income in federal, state, and local taxes. On average, these 400 taxpayers each had taxable income of $151 million. All other taxpayers had average taxable income of only $34,600, and yet their tax burden was 40%.

Corporations get it even better. The largest corporations pay little or no taxes. Wal-Mart, with thousands of employees here in Oregon, paid a measly $600 in Oregon income tax. Little old me, with considerably less income, paid a lot more.

Concerned about paying the inheritance tax? You pay nothing if your inheritance is worth less than a million smackeroos. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small number of families. The wealthiest 1 percent of households owns roughly 33.4% of the nation's net worth, the top 10% of households owns over 71%, and the bottom 40% of households owns less than 1%.

And how about Social Security taxes? For 2007 the taxed rate is 6.2%. So if you make $50,000 you will pay $3100. But there is a maximum income that you pay on, and for 2007 it is $97,500. So if you make exactly $97,500 in 2007, you will be taxed $6045. Let's say you have a good year and make twice that, or $195,000. You still pay only $6045, and now your tax rate is only 3.1%. And let's say you hit it big in 2007 and make a million bucks, you still only pay $6045, and your tax rate is down to 0.6045%. Someone like Bill Gates or Oprah who makes a billion dollars in a year still pays only $6045 for a rate of 0.0006045%.

By the way, if everyone paid the same 6.2% with no top limit, there would be plenty of money in Social Security forever. In fact, the rate could be dropped significantly if the rich paid their fair share.

Still like the analogy of the dinner?

"There's always somebody who is paid too much, and taxed too little - and it's always somebody else." — Cullen Hightower

Friday, November 17, 2006 Back to Top

Mental Health

Recently I had the privilege of holding a workshop at the University of Oregon at a conference sponsored by the City of Eugene's Human Rights Council. The conference was titled Choice in Mental Health Care as a Human Right, A Vision of Recovery and Success. Was that ever an eye opening experience!

My workshop was on Emotional Freedom Techniques, and how I empower my clients to do their own healing. I spoke, explaining my work, what I do and don't do, then gave several powerful demonstrations on strangers who volunteered to receive my work. I am available to give talks and demonstrations to any group willing to listen. Just email me at , and we can set up a time and place.

At the conference I discovered that I was not the only person used and abused by the psychiatric system. Eugene-based organization MindFreedom International and the Mad Pride Road Show were represented. Just think about that: Mad Pride!

It got me to thinking, just what is mental health, and what is mental illness, and who gets to define it, and who gets to diagnose it. Therein lies the real problem. There are so many variables, so many shades of difference. What may be sanity in our culture is madness in another. A perfectly normal coping behavior, a result of assault or abuse, may be misdiagnosed as a serious mental illness. Misdiagnosis, over-diagnosis and under-diagnosis is common in the mental health field.

An example was given in one workshop where a young woman was first diagnosed as schizophrenic, with Dissociative Identity Disorder added later. Her next practitioner diagnosed her with Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. One professional said she had average intelligence, the next said she was mentally retarded. The truth was that she had average to above average intelligence, and her coping behavior to severe sexual abuse and as a witness to a murder was misdiagnosed. As far as I can tell, most diagnoses are just guesses, and bad ones at that.

It is time we all begin studying our medical and psychiatric systems. The current movement is mostly made up of people who have been abused by the system. They call themselves "psychiatric survivors," though I prefer to think of myself as a "psychiatric conqueror." I not only was a victim as a child, I not only survived, but I have overcome the system and I am fighting back.

We must not let only so-called "professionals" who are the products of pharmaceutical-sponsored medical and psychology schools decide what is mental illness and who is sane. Currently, if one professional decides that you need to be institutionalized, they can go before a judge and argue that you should be hospitalized for your own good, and most likely your lawyer will agree (though your lawyer is supposed to argue your case before the law, in mental cases they usually side with the prosecution and agree that it is for your own good). You have more rights as a criminal, even as a terrorist, than you do as a suspected mental patient. And if you refuse the powerful mind-altering drugs they prescribe for you, they can keep you indefinitely.

"Insist on yourself; never imitate. Every great man is unique." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 Back to Top

Hypocrisy

And another hypocrite bites the dust. Rep. Mark Foley, a Florida Republican congressman, has resigned his seat and entered rehab after it was publicly disclosed that he sent improper electronic messages to 16-year old male pages. As of this morning, five boys have come forward.

Foley was an outspoken critic of nudists, homosexuals, sexual predators and President Clinton. Foley immediately announced through his lawyer that he is not a pedophile, but of course, he doth protest too much, and we all assume that since he lied about the rest, that he probably is a pedophile.

And now it appears that the Republican leadership in congress knew about Foley's behavior for about a year. Foley's seat in the upcoming election was considered safe. He had a huge lead over his Democratic rival and was a shoo-in for reelection. The Republican leadership hid his predatorial actions toward teen boys to protect the Republican majority. Now the entire Republican leadership in congress is in trouble because they obviously put teen boys at risk to a sexual predator to protect their slim majority in congress. That's hypocrisy at its apex.

Foley's escape to an alcohol rehab center is another act of hypocrisy. While he may be an alcoholic, that does not excuse his behavior. Many celebrities assume that by checking themselves into rehab, they are excusing themselves from responsibility. Rehab centers teach responsibility.

Foley carefully crafted his public image, though it was widely known both in Florida and in Washington, D. C. that he was homosexual. Many gay organizations wanted him to run as a gay man. And let's make a clear distinction here. There is nothing wrong with being gay and hiding it. Many gays hide their orientation because of the outright discrimination against gays. It's not the hypocrisy of being a homosexual and criticizing homosexuals that is the problem here. It is Foley's sexual proposals to young boys that is troubling.

Foley voted for President Clinton's impeachment. During President Clinton's scandal with intern Monica Lewinsky, Foley sharply criticized him for his sexual misconduct with the adult female. "It's vile," Foley said in 1998. "It's more sad than anything else — to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain."

Foley's political career is also down the drain. While he survived rumors of being gay, there is no way anyone will ever elect him to anything after sending explicit emails to teen boys.

Foley was the co-chair of the House Missing & Exploited Children Caucus. He worked closely with America's Most Wanted host John Walsh to "protect" America's youth, while at the same time asking them in instant messages, "Do I make you a little horny?"

There's an important lesson here for all of us. Whenever someone protests loudly, look deeper. Many times those who protest the actions and behaviors of others have the same behavior hidden deep in their secrets. Most of those who strongly protest against homosexuals have had sexual feelings for those of the same sex, but have buried those feelings deeply. People who put others down should always be suspect.

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."—Carl Jung

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 Back to Top

Community Theater

We just got home from seeing Pump Boys and Dinettes at the Actors Cabaret of Eugene. It was a fun, energetic musical. Mark Van Beever as LM and Amanda Fackrell as Rhetta Cupp were especially compelling.

This is the third local community theater play we've seen this year. The last two were Evita and 1776. We try to see several plays every year.

There is probably community theater near you. Support your local arts & go see a play!

"Simply put, music can heal people."—Harry Reid, U.S. Senator

Friday, September 15, 2006 Back to Top

Reunion

I recently returned home from my 40th high school reunion. High school wasn't the happiest of times for me, so I went there with a lot of apprehension. I had gone to my 10th reunion, and was quite disappointed. The same cliques that were present in high school still reigned at the 10th, and I left early, vowing to not go back until the "cliquiness" had disappeared.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the 40th. Not only had the "cliquiness" disappeared, but everyone was genuinely friendly. I felt like I made a lot of new friends out of old acquaintances.

I'm not your average high school returnee. My business is healing. Not just others, but myself as well. So I used my return to heal myself and to offer my services to my classmates and their spouses.

I wasn't popular in high school. I didn't go to the proms. I didn't go out for sports. I didn't do much of anything, except that I may hold my high school record for most days skipped and still graduating with my class!

When I was asked to speak at the 40th reunion, I was somewhat surprised. I thought I would be one of several speakers, but the others made announcements, one recited a couple of original inspirations poems, one sang a couple of songs, and a couple danced. It turned out that I was the "keynote" speaker. And I think that what I said shocked my classmates.

My life is about growth and healing, and I spoke from my heart. I talked about my problems in school, from rheumatic fever and Tourette's Syndrome, to depression and suicide. I spoke about my journey from darkness into the light. And I offered my healing services to those present. About a dozen classmates and spouses took me up on it.

I've put my speech on this site.

Reunions can be traumatic, or they can be a time of healing. Use your time wisely. Live a conscious life. And have fun.

"Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago."—Horace Mann

Thursday, August 24, 2006 Back to Top

The Middle East Explained

On last Sunday's Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer told the old story about the frog and the scorpion. The scorpion wanted to travel to the opposite side of the river, but the frog didn't want to take him because he didn't want to get stung. The scorpion promised the frog that he wouldn't sting him, so the frog agreed.

About halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog. As the injured frog began to sink into the river, drowning both of them, the frog asked the scorpion why he stung him. The scorpion replied, "Because it's the Middle East."

The joke usually ends with the line, "Because it's my nature," but Mr. Shieffer's ending is really true.

The Middle East shakes out like this: several tribes of people have been fighting for the same real estate since before recorded time. They all probably have some claim to the land, and there's probably no way to sort it out. These tribes have formed alliances with other tribes (and now nations) to aid them in their struggle.

Basically, the Jews (a combination of several tribes) now control the country known as Israel. The Palestinians, dominated by Muslims, control most of the surrounding territory for several hundred to several thousand miles in most directions.

Israel became an independent state in 1948. Most of the surrounding peoples and countries have a stated goal that Israel be destroyed. Israel just wants to exist peacefully. There have been several outright wars, and pretty much a continuous series of terrorist attacks, missile attacks and skirmishes.

Recently, Israel agreed to withdraw troops from the Gaza Strip, which they had held for a number of years. They tore down homes of Israeli settlers in the area, and forced their own people out. The Palestinians should have rejoiced and set about building a place for their people to live. Instead they moved in missiles and used the area to attack Israel.

The Israelis also removed troops from southern Lebanon, and in a multilateral treaty, were promised that the Lebanese army would control the area. Instead, Hamas, a terrorist group, moved their troops in, and bolstered with munitions from some nearby countries, also began firing missiles into Israel.

The latest battles were triggered by a kidnapping of some Israeli soldiers. The Israelis countered with a long-planned attack on terrorists in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Lebanon is once again at war, Israel is being hit and is hitting back hard, the Gaza Strip is a dangerous place to live, and it appears that we may be approaching another full-on war in the Middle East.

We hope that diplomacy can find a temporary solution to avoid slippage into World War Three.

As Rodney King said, "Why can't we all just get along?"

"To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."—Bertrand Russell

Friday, July 21, 2006 Back to Top

Kip Kinkel

As most of you know, I work as a healer. I teach people to heal their own bodies, minds and spirits.

I give my clients anonymity and confidentiality, so I am going to tell the following story following my own guidelines.

A client came to me this past week suffering from multiple disorders. She originally came for a massage, but I quickly realized that whatever I did physically was only going to help temporarily, and I wanted to give her a longer-lasting healing.

She was in the Thurston High School cafeteria on May 21, 1998. She heard gunfire and thought it was a prank in conjunction with the student body elections. Then she heard screaming, and someone behind her told her to run. She froze. Students in front of her began diving to the floor. Kip Kinkel turned the gun in her direction, and fired. The student in front of her was struck, and fell.

Someone pushed her hard toward the door. She ran out, got a little ways, and turned back. The student who had been in front of her had also run out, but he staggered to the wall, leaned back against it, and slid to the ground. A big smear of blood remained on the wall. One part of her wanted to go back to comfort him, but someone else told her to run, so she ran.

Of course, she did the right thing. Inside the cafeteria, students were bleeding and dying. Those who escaped, lived. Some heroic students tackled Kip Kinkel and disarmed him. He had killed his parents the night before. At the school, he fired 50 rounds with a semiautomatic weapon, killing two and wounding 25. He was later sentenced to 111 years in prison with no chance of parole.

I helped my client work on issues of guilt, and the horror she witnessed that day, but that is not what I wanted to write about today.

In my healing practice, I work with people who have been hurt by other people. Kip didn't just wound 25 that day, he wounded hundreds, perhaps even thousands. My client, a peripheral witness to the shooting, was affected deeply, as was her family. All the students, teachers, support staff and all their families changed that day. The entire community was changed.

Almost daily I work with victims of rape, kidnapping, attempted murder and far too many abused children who have grown up and continue to suffer as adults.

I keep asking myself, "Why?" Why do spouses hurt each other? What drives men to abuse young girls? And older girls to abuse young boys? There appears to be no limit to the cruelty we inflict on each other.

We cause each other to suffer. Is this all part of God's plan? Every day, each of us makes choices. Just as we choose to abuse, we can choose to heal. We can choose to make healthy, loving, life-giving choices.

Each abuser, according to experts, has thought about it a lot before they have acted. They have planned it out, including the language they will use with their victims to try to keep them from telling. Be aware of your thought patterns.

Even though I don't expect you, dear reader, to be anything like Kip Kinkel or a rapist or a predator, you do make decisions every day that affect others, especially those who love you the most. Please make those decisions with utmost care. Be loving. Be generous. Be thoughtful.

"As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate." — Albert Schweitzer

Sunday, June 25, 2006 Back to Top

Go and check your oil, or have someone do it for you.

"If at first you don't succeed, keep sucking until you do succeed. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk." — Curly of the Three Stooges

Friday, June 23, 2006 Back to Top

Terrorism

For rational human beings, there is never a good reason for terrorism. Or war, hatred, greed or any of the myriad things that people do to each other.

In the minds of the terrorists, however, they are being patriotic and, they wrongly believe, faithful to their religion. The revolutionary rebels of 1776 are now considered patriots, but to the British at the time, they were also considered terrorists, though I don't think that particular word was used.

Muslims consider the soil of their countries to be holy, yet the United States defiles their holy lands with military bases in Iraq, Turkey, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Qatar, to name a few. We are in a period of time where the U.S. has supreme military power, and we have not used that power wisely. The Romans had bases in many countries, and it was good for Rome, but not necessarily good for the occupied countries. The sun never set on the British Empire, but the British also abused their power, most notably in India.

I'm not an isolationist. I think that we are the best country on earth and have the potential to do great things for the world, but because we have misused our power and our goodwill, the oppressed are rising up against us, and we label it terrorism.

I think that the only way we can defeat our enemy and the terrorism they use to reach their goals, is to understand why they are doing what they are doing.

They didn't grow up wanting to become suicide bombers. We humans are all idealistic in our youth. We are all open to new ideas, and many of us are swayed to radical beliefs. If we can remove the reasons they hate us, we can win the war on terrorism.

Unfortunately, we appear to be involved in the middle east mainly to protect our oil interests. We protect the world's supply of oil as police on the high seas. Our bases in most of the above countries were put in places to provide support for the protection of the movement of oil. So once again, a world problem comes down to what each of us can do to reduce our need for oil. I don't think that there is an easy solution, and perhaps there is no solution as long as the middle east has oil and we need oil.

"Everything that is impossible remains to be accomplished." — Jules Verne

Friday, June 16, 2006 Back to Top

Saving the World

I had hoped that our generation would be the ones to stop the corruption and have sensible government. But I think it has gotten worse.

I don't think that it is hopeless, but we need strong leaders who understand that health care is a right, not a privilege; that if we educate our young, we can be leaders in the world; that those who use terrorism against us do it for (in their minds) good reasons, that we have been "Ugly Americans" with our foreign aid, with our military, and with our corporations.

Hey, make me world dictator and I'll solve the world's problems. I'll direct health care where it's needed, give equal education to all the world, feed the hungry, and teach everyone to care for each other. Barring me becoming world dictator, I think we're in for a few more centuries of war, famine, pestilence and corruption.

Yes, I have ideas on how to extricate ourselves from corruption, but it won't be easy.

Since none of us can change the world, we have to work on ourselves. Each of us can be more loving, more giving, more caring. We can direct our personal resources to those in need. We can work on our own anger, our depression, our pain, our frustration, our self-loathing, our selfishness, our pessimism, our greed. Our attitude can change us and those around us. Our love can transform those whose lives are lacking in love. Each of us is faced with choices every waking minute. Only we can change our attitudes. Only we can make loving choices. Choose to love. Choose to be positive. Choose to be an optimist. Perhaps the whole world won't change, but we can change our personal world, and be a positive influence on those around us.

"The note we end on is and must be the note of inexhaustible possibility and hope." — Evelyn Underhill

Wednesday, June 14, 2006 Back to Top

Honoring Caretakers

Last fall my mother-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I decided to become her primary caregiver. I shut down my business, informing my clients what was happening.

We kept her in our home, through all the trials, multiple medicines, visits from relatives, and all the other myriad things we had to do for her.

When she passed away in October, we were with her, holding her hand.

I considered it an honor to care for her. Even though, while going through it, I questioned whether I had made the right decision, I persisted. I set up a doorbell that she could ring whenever she needed help or wanted to talk to someone. I always responded immediately. What could have been a stress-filled situation, was instead a loving, caring end of life for her.

I honor those who care for their family members. While it seems difficult now, it is all worth it. I consider the time I spent caring for my mother-in-law the most memorable, most powerful period of my life. I believe that on judgment day, despite whatever else we do in our lives, we will be judged by how we treat those closest to us, our parents, our children, our siblings, and our spouses.

"There is a transcendent power in example. We reform others unconsciously when we walk uprightly." — Anne Sophie Swetchine

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 Back to Top

Robert's Succinct Guide to Las Vegas

My wife & I have been to Las Vegas four times, and here is what we have learned.

Two days isn't long enough. Seven days is too long. Four days is just about right.

At the airport, as soon as you arrive, pick up tourist brochures. Read through them & find coupons. Lots of 2 for 1 coupons, show coupons, restaurant coupons, gambling coupons, Grand Canyon coupons.

Rent a car. The buses are hot. Vegas is very, very hot. With a car you can go visit the dam, the lake, distant casinos, supermarkets, etc., in air-conditioned comfort.

The casinos haven't learned the lessons about smoking yet. If you must gamble, hold your breath. When you leave, all your clothes will smell like smoke.

Spend your money on shows. Cirque de Soleil has at least four shows ongoing at various casinos. Just pick one. They are all fabulous.

Dirk Arthur's magic show with big cats at the Tropicana is a great bargain. Look for 2 for 1 coupons. And look for his show about big cats on the Animal Planet channel, "Big Cat Magic".

Lance Burton's magic show at the Monte Carlo is also very good.

And Penn & Teller's magic/comedy act at the Rio is also good. Hmmm. Seems like we've been to a lot of magic shows.

Okay, there's lots and lots of free, nearly free or cheap things to do, also.

Take the elevator to the top of the ½ scale Eiffel Tower.

Ride a Gondola at the Venetian & have the gondolier sing to you in Italian.

Ride the roller coaster or another scary ride atop the Stratosphere, twice as high as the Space Needle in Seattle. No, really, there is a roller coaster on top of this very, very tall tower!

Walk through the hotels. There are so many themes. Each one is a wonder. Together, it is overwhelming and obnoxious, but individually, they are fun to walk through.

Find the world's largest chocolate fountain (over 2 tons of chocolate) at the Bellagio.

Walk through the Shark Reef at the Mandalay, and pet a shark (they are really rough).

Tour the dolphin habitat and the Secret Garden at the Mirage.

Watch the dancing fountain in front of the Bellagio.

Watch the Pirate show in front of Treasure Island.

Check out Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. At night there is a free overhead show.

Like to play Texas No-Limit Hold 'Em? Binyon's Casino, in downtown, has a no-smoking area where you can learn. Buy-ins are only $100.

There used to be really cheap food all over Las Vegas, but they learned that they can take your money in the casinos and at restaurants. But there is still one great buffet at the Californian, in downtown Las Vegas.

Study the architecture of New York, the MGM Grand, Caesar's Palace, the Luxor, and many, many others.

Go find things that most tourists never see. Try a sushi bar. See some showgirls. Take your picture next to the 'Welcome to Las Vegas' sign. Have fun.

And let me know what you find.

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained." — Marie Curie

All writings Copyright 2006-2011 Robert L. Bike. Page last updated on January 29, 2011

PREVIOUS ESSAYS

Community Theater

Discrimination

Google It!

Honoring Caretakers

Hypocrisy

Kip Kinkel

Mental Health

Middle East Explained

Nature

Oil

Publicity

Reunion

Robert's Succinct Guide to Las Vegas

Saving the World

Scary Movie

Taxes Simplified

Terrorism

Massage

EFT